Lining register control for a case forming machine for books



Oct. 31, 1961 R. SCHOENBERGER, JR 3,006,633

LININC RECISTER CoNTRCL FCR A CASE FORMINC MACHINE FCR BooKs 6 Sheets-Sheet l Filed 001;. 2, 1958 Oct. 31, 1961 R. l.. SCHOENBERGER, .1R 3,006,633

LINING REGISTER CONTROL FOR A CASE FORMING MACHINE FOR BOOKS Filed OC'- 2, 1958 6 Sheets-Shes?I 2 NRA N 559" Mga Oct. 31, 1961 R. L.. SCHOENBERGER, JR 3,006,633

LINING REGISTER c oNTRoL FoR A CASE FORMING MACHINE' FoR BooKs Filed oct. 2, 1958 e sheets-sheet s Ln. E LL Oct. 31, 1961 R. SCHOENBERGER, JR 3,006,633

LINING REGISTER coNTRor. FOR A CASE FORMING MACHINE FOR BooKs Filed oct. 2, 1958 e sheets-sheet 4 Oct. 31, 1961 R. L. SCHOENBERGER, JR

LINING REGISTER CONTROL FOR A CASE FORMING MACHINE FOR BOOKS Filed OC'C. 2, 1958 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 r Y I JZa.

Oct. 31, 1961 R. L, scHoENBERGER, JR 3,006,633

LININC REGISTER CONTROL ECE A CASE FCEMINC MACHINE Foa BooKs 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed Oct. 2, 1958 United States Patent Giice 3,006,633 Patented Oct. 3l, 1961 3,006,633 LINING REGISTER CONTROL FOR A CASE FORMING MACHINE FOR BOOKS Robert L. Schoenberger, Jr., Crawfordsville, Ind., assignor to R. R. Donnelley & Sons Company, a corporation of Delaware Filed on. z, 195s, ser. No. 764,933 s claims. (el. 27o-s2) This invention relates to case makers and in particular to means for providing liners in case makers.

To reinforce the spine of a hardboard case to be used as the binding of a book, a liner strip is secured to the mid-portion of the fabric or paper sheet between stiffener boards secured to the sheet for reinforcing the `front and back faces thereof. The sheet is provided in a continuous Web Which moves `discontinuously along a desired path through the case maker. The front and back stiifener boards and the liner strips are applied to the web as it passes through the case maker -to form a continuing series of case elements which are subsequently cut to form the individual cases.

The instant invention is concerned with a new and improved means for providing the liner strips to the case elements, in accurate registration with the laterally aligned stitfener boards, as the web travels through the case maker. The placement of the boards on the web must be continuously adjusted due to stretching and similar deformations of the web and the placement of the liner strips must be correspondingly adjusted. Should the liner strip extend longitudinally beyond either end of the stiffener boards, an improperly formed case results due to the double thickness of the liner resulting when the sheet edges are folded. Heretofore, no satisfactory means has been available for automatically accurately coordinating these adjustments to assure proper registration of the liner strips, and as a result the production rate of such cases has been relatively low.

The prinicpal object of this invention is to provide new and improved means for providing liner strips in a case maker.

Another object is to provide such a means automatically adjusting the liner strip placement on the web to provide a predetermined relationship of the liner strip with the other elements of the case.

A further object is to provide a new and improved means effecting adjustment of liner strip placement by varying the position of the liner supply mechanism relative to the longitudinal travel of the web.

Still another object is to provide such means wherein the liner strip placement and stiffener board placement are automatically coordinated with the actual web travel by electrically interconnected means.

A further object is to provide such means wherein manually operable means are provided to disable the automatic adjusting means and permit independent adjustment of the liner placement when desired.

The invention is illustrated in a preferred embodiment in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a diagrammatic perspective view of a portion of a case maker provided with means for providing a liner strip, embodying the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective View of a completed case such as formed in the case maker;

FIGURE 3 is a transverse section of the case taken substantially as indicated along the line 3-3 of FIG- URE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary plan view of the liner providing means and an associated portion of the case maker;

FIGURE 5 is a longitudinal vertical section taken substantially as indicated along the line 5-5 of FIGURE 4;

FIGURE 6 is a transverse vertical section taken substantially as indicated along the line `6-6 of FIGURE 5;

FIGURE 7 is a transverse vertical section taken substantially as indicated along the line 7--7 of FIGURE 4;

FIGURE 8 is a fragmentary enlarged elevation with portions broken away of a portion of the drive and control means of the liner providing means;

FIGURE 9 is a vertical section taken substantially as indicated along the line 9--9 of FIGURE 8;

FIGURE 10 is a fragmentary diametric section of the clutch means of the liner providing means;

FIGURE 11 is a vertical section taken substantially as indicated along the line 11-11 of FIGURE 8;

FIGURE 12 is -a vertical section taken substantially as indicated along the line 12-12 of FIGURE 10; and

FIGURE 13 is a schematic `electrical diagram of the automatic control means.

In the exemplary embodiment of the invention as shown in the drawing, and referring first to FIGURE 1, a case maker apparatus generally designated 10 comprises a web supply A; clamp means B for moving the web 11 longitudinally discontinuously through the case maker; means C for placing pairs of stiffener boards 12 on web 11 in a desired longitudinally spaced relationship; notching means D for providing suitable notches in the longitudinal edges of web 11; cutting means E for separating the individual cases 13 from web 11 at the delivery end of the case maker; liner providing means F -for placing liners 14 between the pairs of boards 12 on web 11; and driving means G lfor effecting a coordinated operation of the individual means comprising the case maker 10.

The instant invention is concerned primarily with the liner providing means F and the coordinated functioning thereof relative to the other means of the case maker. A detailed description of a web supply means A of the type herein partially shown is provided in my co-pending application Serial No. 746,170, -iiled July 2, 1958. A detailed description of the mechanism comprising web travel means B, stiener board means C, notching means D, cutting means E and driving means G is presented in Bach et al. Patent 2,556,787, issued lune 12, 1951. Broadly, however, the advance of web 1'1 is effected by a clamp 1'5 carried by a reciprocating table 16 to move the web a predetermined distance upon each forward movement of the table. The table is longitudinally reciprocated from a cycle sha-ft 17 having a spur gear 18 driving a gear 19 which in turn drives a connecting rod 20 by means of a pin 21 radially adjustable on gear 19. The connecting rod 20 rocks a link 22 about a pivot 23 at one end of the link to reciprocate a connecting shaft 23 threaded to a pivot 24 at the opposite end of link 22. Connecting shaft 23 is connected to table 16 through a turnbuckle 25. The board placing means C are operated in synchronization with the movement of table 16 by means of a pull rod 26 connected to the table through a turnbuckle 27 and a bracket 28. Means C pl-aces seriatim transversely spaced pairs of boards 12 on web 11 which, together with the portion of the web on which they are placed, comprise case elements 13a.

Adjacent board placing means C is a scanner 29 which scans web 11 to determine the longitudinal position thereof as indicated by indicia means on the web, such as suitable reference marks (not shown). The scanner is electrically associated with a suitable control 30 (FIGURE 13), as described in detail in Bach et al. Patent 2,556,787, to drive a first selsyn motor 31 which adjusts the position of connector 32 longitudinally relative to link 22 and, thereby, adjusts the stroke of table 16. A second selsyn motor 33 is operated by control 30 to adjust turnbuckle 25 to adjust the position of table 16 longitudinally of the web 11. A third selsyn 34 is operated by control 30 to manipulate nut 27 and, thereby, adjust the operation of pull rod 26 to adjust the placement of the boards 12 on web 11. The selsyn motors are geared to the connector 32, turnbuckle 25, and nut 27 in proper proportional ratios to effect the desired relationship of adjustment of these elements.

The liner providing means F Vindividual liners 14 are delivered from knife 45 to the upper surface of adhesive coated web 11 between the stiifener boards 12 thereon by means of a vacuum wheel 46.

The operation of drive wheels 43 and 44 and the operation of vacuum wheel 46 is synchronized with the movement of web 11 through the case maker so that the Aliners 14 are properly disposed on the web. As best seen in FIGURES 1, 4 and 5, the drive wheels are op- Y erated from cycle shaft 17 through a spur gear 47 driving a gear 48 coaxial with a bevel gear 49 driving a bevel gear 50 at one end of a shaft 51. At the other end of shaft 51 is a bevel gear 52 driving a bevel gear 53 having a radially adjustable pin 54 connected to one end of a link 55. The other end 56 of the link is pivotally connected to a pivotally mounted crank arm 57 having its free end 58 pivotally connected to a rod 59. Rod 59 is thus longitudinally reciprocated and, in turn, reciprocates a rack 60 driving a pinion 61 xed on one end of a shaft 62 journaled in a bearing 63 carried by table 37. As best seen in FIGURES 4, 6 and 7, shaft 62 extends through a U-shaped enclosure 64 and is journaled at its opposite end in a bearing 65 also carried on table 37. Secured to shaft 62 is a gear 66 which drives a gear 67 secured to one end of a shaft 62a extending through enclosure 64 and connected at its opposite end to an overrunning clutch 68. The output of clutch 68 is delivered through a sleeve 69 to the upper drive wheel 43 and through a gear 70 secured to sleeve 69 and a gear 71 secured to a sleeve 72 rotatably mounted on shaft 62 in enclosure 64 to lower drive wheel 44. Each of drive wheels 43 and 44 is driven to advance the liner ribbon 39 during a rearward movement of rack 61 and is retained against motion during a forward return movement of the rack.

Also fixed to shaft 62, adjacent bearing 63, is a cam 74 which intermittently operates knife 45 through a suitable connecting link mechanism 74a. Itis desirable t0 trim ribbon 39 prior to its passage through drive rollers 43 and 44 and for this purpose, a trimming knife wheel 74b is mounted on support 42 adjacent roller 41. KnifeV wheel 7'4b may be driven by suitable chain drive 74C driven by a gear 74d meshing with gear 66 on shaft 62.

As indicated briey above, liner strips 14 are delivered tothe webV 11 from the strip forming means by a vacuum wheel 46. Referring now more specifically to FIGURES 1, 4 and 5, vacuum wheel 46 is secured to a hollow shaft 75 journaled at one end in a bearing 77 carried on side frame 38. Additional supports 78 are provided on a cross piece V79 carried on frame 38 for supporting the shaft 75 adjacent Wheel 46. A vacuum connection 80 is -provided at the end of shaft 75 adjacent bearing 77 and an air valve 81 is mounted on the wheel. VIntermittent rotation of vacuum wheel 46 is effected by a rod 82 secured at one end to table 16 and provided at the other end with a rack 83 driving a pinion 84. Pinion 84 is connected to an overrunning clutch 85 which is connected to vshaft 75 to provide the liner strip-advancing rotation of vacuum wheel 46 during the rearward movement of rack 83 and retain the vacuum wheel motionless during the forward, return movement of the rack. To assure a proper placement of the liner strips 14 on the vacuum wheel periphery, a holddown roller 86 overrides the strip at the top of the vacuum wheel and is intermittently spaced therefrom by means of a linkage 87 (shown broken in FIGURE 5) controlled by a cam 88 on pull rod 26 to admit seriatim strips 14 therebetween.

The adjustment of the placement of liners 14 on web 11 is effected by moving support table 37 forwardly or rearwardly longitudinally of case maker 10 which thereby effects a lineal phase displacement between the means delining the liner supply and the vacuum wheel 46 comprising the transfer device for delivering the liners to the web 11. This is automatically accomplished by a fourth selsyn motor 89 (FIGURES 6 and 7) which drives through a suitable clutched gear train a transfer shaft l90 to which is secured a pair of spur gears 91. As best seen in FIGURE 6, the gear train comprises a gear 92 xed on the shaft of 'motor 89 and meshing with -a gear 93 on a stub shaft 94. A second gear 95 is carried on shaft 94 and drives a gear 96 on a second stub shaft 97 also carrying a gear 98 which drives a large spur gear 99 rotatably carried on transfer shaft 90.

Referring now more specifically to FIGURES 8 through l2, one end of shaft 90 is journaled in a bushing 100 in a side plate 101 carried by side frame 38. Gear 99 is fixed on a sleeve -102 which is rotatable and longitudinally slidable on shaft 90. A movable clutch member 103 is mounted on sleeve 102 and secured to gear 99 by suitable means such as screws 104. A coil spring 105 is mounted on shaft 90 between bushing 100 and sleeve 102 to bias the clutch member 103 into engagement with a driven clutch member 106 xed to shaft 90 by suitable means such as pin 107. Driven clutch member 106 is provided with a pair of pins 108 which engage the movable clutch 103 in corresponding recesses 109 therein when spring 105 effects engagement of the clutch members.

Gears 91 on shaft 90 comprise worm gears driving a corresponding pair of worm gears 110 fixed to one end of a pair of longitudinally fixed, rotatable rods 111 which are threaded through a pair of blocks 112 projecting from support table 37. Support table 37 is slidably carried by frame 38 by means of a pair of outturned flanges 113 received in corresponding grooves 114 of frame 38. VThus,

'by suitable rotation of selsyn motor 89 to effect a corresponding rotation of rods 111, desired longitudinal adjustment of the position of support table 37 and the liner strip means thereon is automatically accomplished.

As best seen in FIGURE -13, selsyn Ymotor 89 is connected electrically in parallel with selsynmotors 31, 33 and 34. The ratio of the gearing associated with motor 89, as described above, is correlated with the gearing ratio of the motors 31, 33 and 34, thus a proportional adjustment of the positioning of support table 37 is automatically effected concurrently with the adjustments effected by each of the other Vselsyn motors. This adjustment results from the movement of the liner providing means mounted on support 37 independent of the vacuum wheel 46, the axis of rotation of which wheel is fixed relative to the casemaker. Thus, the adjustment of the placement of the liner strips on the web is effected by adjusting the position of the liner strips on the vacuum Wheel as they are delivered from the knife 45 to the vacuum wheel. At certain times, such as when a substantial correction of the liner position is requiredfit is desirable to effect an adjustment of the support table position independently of the adjustments of selsyn motors 31, 33 and 34. Refern'ng now more specifically to FIGURE 13, independent; Vcontrol of selsyn motor 89 may be effected by means of a forward push-button 115 and a reverse pushbutton 116 comprising a push-button station 117 disposed at one side of the case maker (FIGURE 1). More specifically, leads L1, L2 and L3 of a 3 phase, 220 volt power supply are connected through a conventional motor disconnect switch 118 to a pair of conventional reversing motor switches 119 and 120. The reversing motor switches are each connected to a drive motor 121 which drives a selsyn transformer 122. Control 30, which is operated by the scanner 29, as discussed above, is electrically associated with motor switch 119 to operate the switch automatically suitably to energize motor 121 and effect a proper corrective functioning of each of the normally parallel-connected selsyn motors. As shown, the forward coil 123 of motor switch 120 is connected in series with forward pushbutton 4115 across one phase of the power supply. In addition to the normally open motor forward contacts 124 of starter 120 which are controlled by coil 123, a first set of normally closed contacts 125 controlled thereby is connected in series with the parallel connection of selsyn motors 31, 33 and 34 from selsyn transmitter 122. An additional pair of normally closed contacts 126, controlled by coil 123, is connected in series with a pair of the leads from motor switch 119 to drive motor 121 to preclude operation of motor |121 by switch 119 whenever forward pushbutton 115 is depressed. The reverse pushbutton 116 is connected in series with the reverse coil 127 of motor switch 120 to control the normally opened reverse contacts 128 thereof. A first normally closed contact 129 controlled by reverse coil 127 is connected in series with contacts 125, and a pair of normally closed contacts 130 controlled thereby are connected in series with contacts 126 to preclude operation of motor 121 by switch 119 whenever reverse pushbutton 116 is depressed.

When it is desired to operate selsyn motor 89 independently of the other selsyn motors (and independently of the scanner 29 and control 30), the suitable one of the forward pushbutton 115 and reverse pushbutton 116 is depressed. This operates motor switch 120 suitably to operate motor 121 in the desired forward or reverse direction operating selsyn transmitter 122 properly to provide the desired rotation of selsyn motor 89 effecting the desired adjustment of the liner strip feed. At the same time, the associated normally closed contacts are opened to preclude operation of the other selsyn motors 31, 33 and 34 and drive motor 121 by control 30. When the desired adjustment of the liner strip feed is completed, the selected push- `button is released, whereupon automatic control of the liner strip feed is immediately resumed by scanner 29 and control 30.

At certain times it is desirable to eifect an adjustment of line strip feed independently of selsyn motor 89. Fo-r this purpose, manually operable means for disengaging movable clutch member .103 from clutch member 106 are provided. As best seen in FIGURES 8, 9 and 1l, the clutch operating means comprises a rod 131 extending at one end through a figure-eight opening 132 provided in a support plate 1 33 secured to frame 38. Opening 132 comprises a small diameter portion 132a and a large diameter portion 132b. Rod 131 is provided with a reduced portion 134 defining a radial shoulder 135 which outwardly abuts the plate 133 surrounding opening small diameter portion 132a when the rod is moved laterally thereinto. The large diameter portion 132b of opening 132 is sutilciently large to allow the end 136 of rod 131 to move longitudinally therethrough.

The opposite end 137 of rod 131 is pivotally connected to an arm 138 pivotally mounted in a bracket 139. Arm 138 is provided with a yoke portion 140 extending to diametrically opposite portions of clutch member 103 and provided with pivot bearings 141 for mounting the clutch member 103 therein. Thus, whenever rod end 136 is aligned with large opening portion 132b, spring 105 may pivot arm 138 to urge clutch 103 into engagement with clutch member 106 and effect a drive of shaft 90 from selsyn motor 89. To disengage the clutch, rod end 136 is moved longitudinally outwardly through opening 132 until reduced portion 134 is aligned with the opening. 'Ihe rod end is then moved laterally until shoulder 135 overlies opening portion 132:1 and is then released, whereupon the rod 131, is held longitudinally against the action of spring 105 and the clutch members 103 and 108 are maintained disengaged. Adjustment of the position of table 37 may now be eifected by rotation of shaft by means of a handwheel 142 secured to one end of the shaft. When the necessary adjustment of table 37 has been completed, rod end 136 is merely urged laterally to the large end 132b of opening 132 and spring effects reengagement of the clutch members to reestablish adjustment of the liner strip feed by selsyn motor 89. If desired, a switch 143 may be provided to disconnect all of the selsyn motors and selsyn transmitter during such manual adjustment of the table.

In summary, adjustment of the position of the liners 14 on web 11 relative to case elements 13a is automatically eifected by selsyn motor 89 which adjusts the longitudinal position of the means providing the liner strip 14 to the vacuum wheel 46. This adjustment is synchronized proportionally with the adjustments effected by the cooperating selsyn motors 31, 33 and 34. At any time, however, selsyn motor 89 may be controlled manually to eifect a desired adjustment of the liner strip providing means. In such manual adjustment, selsyn motor 89 is operated by pushbutton while the other selsyn motors 31, 33 and 34 are automatically disabled. Alternatively, a manual adjustment of the lever placement may be effected by mechanical means while selsyn motor 89 is declutched. Additionally, all of the selsyn motors may be disabled when desired.

The foregoing detailed description is given for clearness of understanding only and no unnecessary limitations should be understood therefrom as modifications will be obvious to those skilled in the art.

I claim:

l. In a case maker, means for providing a plurality of liners seriatim in accurate registration with a plurality of travelling case elements, comprising: a liner supply device; means transferring the liners seriatim in a predetermined spaced relationship from the liner supply device to the case elements; and means for eiecting a lineal phase displacement between the liner supply device and the transferring means including mechanism coordinated with the travel of the case elements for adjusting the position of the liner supply device bodily relative to the transferring means to adjust the phase position of the liners in the transferring means and resultingly the position of the liners relative to the case elements.

2. In a case maker, means for providing a plurality of liners seriatim in accurate registration with a plurality of case elements, comprising: means effecting seriatim travel of case elements; a liner supply device; means driven in synchronization with the means effecting travel of the case elements for transferring the liners seriatim in a predetermined spaced relationship from the liner supply device to the case elements; and means for effecting a lineal phase displacement between the liner supply device and the transferring means including mechanism coordinated with the travel of the case elements for adjusting the position of the liner supply device bodily relative to the transferring means to adjust the phase position of the liners in the transferring means and resultingly the position of the liners relative to the case elements.

3. In a case maker, means for providing a plurality of liners seriatim in accurate registration with a plurality of travelling case elements, comprising: a liner supply device including means for supporting a roll of liner material, means for drawing the liner material from the roll in desired increments, and means for cutting the drawn liner material in said increments to form individual liner strips; means transferring the liner strips seriatim in a predetermned spaced relationship from the ybodily relative to the transferring means to adjust the phase position of the liner strips in the transferring means and resulting'ly the position of the liner strips relative to the case elements. y

4. In a case maker, means for providing a plurality of liners seriatim in accurate registration with a plurality ofcase elements, comprising: means eiecting seriatim a travel of case elements; a liner supply device; means driven in synchronization with the means effecting travel-of the case elements for transferring the liners seriatim in a predetermined spaced relationship from the liner supply device to thef case elements; and means for effecting a lineal phase displacement between the liner supply device and the transferring means including mechanism coordinated with the travel of the case elements for automatically adjusting the position of the liner supply devicebodily relative to the transferring means to adjust the phase position of the liners in the transferring means and resultingly the position of the liners relative to the `case elements.

5. The case maker means of claim 2 wherein the means eecting travel of the case elements includes first control means for automatically adjusting the spacing between the `case elements, the mechanism for adjusting the position of the liner supply includes second control means for automatically effecting such adjusting of the position of the liner supply, and said case maker further includes means to discontinue `automatic operation of said first and second control means and provide manual control of said second control means.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,362,413 Shields Nov. 7, 1944 2,538,520 Holt et al. Ian. 16, 1951 2,556,787 Bach et al June 12, 1951 2,600,284 Tranter June 10, 1952 

